10 Greek Beaches to Plan Your Life Around

A short, 10-minute ferryboat ride from Laconia in the southeastern Peloponnese brings you to this tiny island where fine white sand gives the water its incredible cyan color. The area still seems untouched, even despite the throngs of families that visit every year thanks to the relative safety of the lagoon for kids. The area is also popular for its campsite, a stone’s throw from the beach.

At the lagoon situated in the northwestern tip of Crete, the waters are so shallow you can walk from one shore to the other. Access is either by boat, foot, or a donkey carrying you across the stone track. During peak season it gets pretty busy so stick to the quieter months if you want to avoid the crowds.

Andros is particularly popular among hikers thanks to its award-winning network of trails and crystalline waters for cooling off. Grias to Pidima features a massive rock rising out of the water and can be reached either by boat or via a path that is only a short 5-minute walk from the road. Its curious name means ‘where the old woman jumped’. According to the most popular version of the story, an elderly woman betrayed the Greeks during the Turkish occupation by opening a gate to the castle where the Greeks had taken refuge. Ashamed of her actions, she jumped from the rock to her death.